Ants are fascinating creatures. There are over 4,600 species of ants. Ants make their homes nearly everywhere, from beaches and mountains, to forests and deserts, and even the framework of houses.
Ants can do amazing things. They can dig great networks of tunnels, some as deep as fifteen feet underground. They can pick up and carry objects that are many times their own weight, and they can move at a speed that compares to a person running 65 miles per hour.
It is common for young people to capture, confine and observe ants within habitat structures commonly sold under the trademark ANT FARM.RTM.. The conventional structure is made of clear glass or plastic having a narrow and deep inner compartment partially filled with particulate material or soil. Ants are added and proceed to dig tunnels. The clear narrow container allows observation of the activities of the ants, both above and below the artificial ground.
The typical conventional ant habitat structure is tall and narrow in construction. Very often, the base of the ant habitat is also narrow, and such a construction can cause the structure to be easily tipped over inadvertently. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have an ant habitat construction, which is more stable than the prior known units.
Conventional ant habitats allow for a connection between the habitat units by providing a flexible tubular tunnel from one interior compartment to another. When two such ant habitats are connected by a tunnel connector in this manner, the overall stability of the coupled complex is further compromised. In fact, such an assembly is more prone to inadvertent tipping over such as by striking either unit with an adequate force to cause both of the connected units to fall over, under the force of gravity. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a technique for interconnecting a pair of ant habitats in such a manner that would enhance the stability of the coupled assembly, and yet permit ants from one unit to travel freely between the units.